The present invention relates generally to livestock feeding apparatus and more particularly to a livestock feeding apparatus which automatically senses when the feed has been consumed from the apparatus and which controls the manner in which the feed is replenished to the apparatus.
Automatic livestock feeders are not new. For example, Richards U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,719 and Stidham U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,746 disclose automatic feeders which will dispense feed at predetermined time intervals. These devices, however, have no means for sensing the level of feed available for consumption at any given time. Automatic feeders with such sensing devices are disclosed in Keysell et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,416, Sollars U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,082, Wilson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,403, and Piel U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,040. These devices, however, typically utilize sensing probes or switches which are susceptible to contamination or false readings caused by an accumulation of the feed in the area of the probe or switch.